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Somerset

Knightstone

6.5 · Breakwater · Somerset

Knightstone is the rocky island and Marine Lake outer wall at the north end of Weston-super-Mare. You fish into a fast, deepening tidal channel for the area, over mixed rock, kelp and sand patches. The Bristol Channel’s huge tides dominate the mark—most sessions are focused on the last two hours of the flood and the first hour of the ebb. Use strong grip leads (5–6 oz) and a rotten-bottom link to cope with tide and snags. Night tides are best for dogfish, conger and rays; summer floods can produce bass and smoothhound, while winter brings whiting and pouting. Wrasse and blennies live tight to the rockwork in summer. Access is easy from the promenade and causeway, but the weeded rocks and steps can be very slippery and big spring tides can overtop parts of the wall. Expect occasional restrictions when the Marine Lake is in use—avoid casting into the lake and give space to water users.

Should you fish Knightstone?

55 Fair

Today · Best available

Best available: 06:00-09:00 around the rising tide

Most likely species: Mullet (Thick-lipped) and Flounder

Fair conditions. Best available around 06:00-09:00 around the rising tide, but no window reaches the strong threshold today. Good chance of Mullet (Thick-lipped) and Flounder.

W 5 mph Rain 16% High tide 00:07

Fishable, but pick your timing carefully.

Plan this mark

7-day fishing forecast for Knightstone — 7-day forecast

Scores and best windows are weighted for .

Met Office Met Office · Open-Meteo

Where the data comes from. Weather and sea-state readings come from the Met Office and Open-Meteo forecast models, refreshed several times a day. High and low water are taken from tide-station predictions for this stretch of coast.

How the score works. Each window is scored 0–100 from the signals that most reliably move fish inshore: tide movement (a running tide carries food, so the last of the flood and first of the ebb are usually the prime spells), wind speed and direction (onshore wind stirs food into the surf — up to the point it makes fishing hard), sea state (a little wave and swell movement helps, heavy swell hurts), and weather — rain, temperature and light. Behind the headline number we score bite opportunity and comfort separately, and run a separate safety check on wind and swell. The size of the tide counts too: spring tides move more water than neaps, so the tidal range for this stretch of coast is weighed alongside the tide's direction, your target species and this mark — and unusually big springs strengthen the safety check, because the water rises faster and covers more ground.

Your target species counts. Pick a species below and the score also weights what we know about it — its season, preferred sea temperature, tide stage and sea state, and whether it feeds by day or night.

The rating is guidance, not a guarantee — conditions change fast on the coast, so always judge the sea in front of you before you fish.

Wednesday looks better than today. Unlock the week to see its score and exact window.

· windows & tide

Spring vs neap tides. Spring tides have a larger difference between high and low water, so more water moves on each tide — usually stronger flow that stirs up food and gets fish feeding. Neap tides have a smaller range and generally gentler movement. The range here is compared with what is normal for this stretch of coast, and the cycle swings between springs and neaps roughly every week, following the moon.

Big spring tides: the water rises faster and covers more ground than usual — double-check access routes and cut-off points before you fish.

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Knightstone is a short-session, tide-driven breakwater mark where timing matters more than distance. The most productive fishing is usually from the seaward railings and Marine Lake outer wall into the fast, deepening channel, with baits placed on flow edges, gutters and sand patches rather than blasted as far as possible. Expect strong Bristol Channel tide, snaggy rock/kelp edges and occasional weed, so grip leads, neat baits and a rotten-bottom link are key.

  • Know when Knightstone is worth fishing — and when dead low kills it.
  • Fish the outer wall correctly instead of wasting casts inside the wrong water.
  • Match bass, whiting, rays and mullet to the right tide and ground.
  • Use the right lead weight before the Bristol Channel tide ruins the session.
  • Pick a sensible backup when weed, swell or tide makes Knightstone hard work.

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Jump to towns around this mark for more marks and guides.

Weston-super-Mare 0.6 mi Kewstoke 1.7 mi Hutton (North Somerset) 3.1 mi Locking 3.3 mi West Wick 3.8 mi

Explore nearby towns: Weston-super-Mare · Kewstoke · Hutton (North Somerset) · Locking · West Wick

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Forecast tuning currently supports Bass and Mackerel — more species are on the way.

Overall rating

6.5 /10

Blend of catch potential, access, safety, and overall experience.

Category scores

Catch Potential 6/10
Species Variety 7/10
Scenery & Comfort 7/10
Safety 5/10
Accessibility 8/10

Bass 8/10
Tip: Fish the flood around Knightstone rocks/causeway; crab or whole rag baits; evenings/low light best. Lures only on clearer neap tides.
Flounder 7/10
Tip: Rag/lug in gutters over sand/mud; 2-3 hrs either side of HW; size 2 hooks; light grip leads to hold in tide.
Mullet (Thick-lipped) 7/10
Tip: Summer shoals along seawall; loosefeed bread and fish flake under a waggler; neap HW in calm water; stealth is key.
Whiting 6/10
Tip: Winter after dark; small lug/mackerel strips on 2-3 hook flappers; cast to channel edge on the flood.
Lesser Spotted Dogfish 6/10
Tip: After dark on the flood; mackerel or squid on sandy patches; use grip leads against strong tide.
Starry Smoothhound 5/10
Tip: Late spring-summer; peeler/soft crab; present on the push of the flood; keep baits crabbing along tide seams.
Conger Eel 5/10
Tip: Night around rock edges and structure; big squid/mackerel baits on tough traces; fish last of the flood into slack.
Small-eyed Ray 4/10
Tip: Warm months; sandeel or squid at range over clean sand; last 3 hrs of flood to HW; use steady pressure, avoid dragging up ledges.
European Eel 4/10
Tip: Summer nights in coloured water; fish worm baits static close in; handle carefully and release.
Cod 3/10
Tip: Late autumn/winter after a blow; big lug/crab cocktails; fish dusk into night on the flood with heavy grip leads.
Dover Sole 3/10
Tip: Warm, calm nights; short lob into the gutter with small rag baits on size 4-6 hooks; last 2 hrs of flood to HW.

Local knowledge

Knightstone fishing guide

Practical access, seasons, methods, tides, safety and facilities for this mark.

Knightstone sits on Weston‑super‑Mare’s northern seafront, where the huge tides of the Bristol Channel wrap around the old island and Marine Lake. It’s a convenient, promenade‑style mark with railings and hard standing, ideal for short sessions around the top of the tide. Expect bass and mullet in the warmer months and a run of whiting on winter nights, with flounder a year‑round staple.

Knightstone is on the promenade at the north end of Weston‑super‑Mare’s main beach, beside Marine Lake and the small ‘island’ complex. Access is simple and mostly flat, with multiple pay‑and‑display options close by.

  • Drive to Knightstone Road, Weston‑super‑Mare (around BS23 2AD) and follow signs for Marine Lake/Knightstone Island.
  • Pay‑and‑display parking along Knightstone Road and the nearby seafront; additional car parks are a short, level walk along the prom.
  • The fishing is from the seaward railings, lake outer wall and adjacent concrete platforms; no need for boots or scrambling if you stay topside.
  • Terrain is concrete, steps and railings with rock armour at the base; do not climb onto the boulders or mudflats.

This is an estuary‑influenced, shallow, high‑tide venue. Expect estuarine species with peak activity on the flood and at dusk.

  • Spring to early summer: school bass, flounder, thin‑ and thick‑lipped mullet; odd plaice/sole on neaps at night.
  • High summer: bass (including better fish in a breeze), mullet around sluices, eels (catch‑and‑release strongly advised), the odd smoothhound pup.
  • Autumn: bass on crabs/sandeel, mullet linger into mild spells, increasing whiting after dark; occasional pouting.
  • Winter: whiting in numbers on dark tides, flounder, the odd codling in a blow (much rarer nowadays), small conger after dark from rougher edges.

Short‑range, tide‑aware tactics score here. You’re fishing moving water lanes and gutters rather than long distances across shallow sand.

  • Bottom fishing: 2‑hook flapper or loop rigs with size 2–1/0 hooks for flounder/whiting; pulley‑dropper (3/0) only if you’re targeting a bass in a blow.
  • Leads: strong tide requires 5–7 oz breakout leads on springs; 4–5 oz may hold on neaps.
  • Baits: local blow lug or rag for flounder/whiting/sole; peeler/soft crab and sandeel for bass; small mackerel or squid strips for whiting/pouting. Keep baits small and well‑whipped with elastic.
  • Mullet: float or free‑line bread flake near the sluice/outflow; 4–6 lb fluoro, size 8–12 fine‑wire hooks; steady bread mash helps.
  • Lures for bass: small metals and surface/sub‑surface plugs at first light or dusk in settled spells; best along the seaward wall when there’s a gentle push of tide.
  • Tackle notes: a 11–13 ft beachcaster or estuary rod with 20–30 lb braid/0.35–0.40 mono and shock leader; a drop net helps for safe landing.

Weston dries a long way on the ebb, so time your trip. The huge range means water and current concentrate around Knightstone on the upper half of the tide.

  • Best states: 2 hours before to 2 hours after high water; avoid dead low as it’s too shallow/muddy.
  • Springs vs neaps: springs bring push, colour and bass opportunities but need heavier leads; neaps are kinder for holding bottom and mullet/sole at night.
  • Light and timing: dusk into dark is prime for whiting and better bass; early morning for mullet and lure sessions.
  • Sea and wind: a mild onshore chop and coloured water helps bass; in heavy onshore blows the wall can overtop—stand well back or give it a miss.
  • Water clarity: usually tea‑coloured; lures work after settled periods or on neaps with cleaner water.

This is a convenient, urban mark—but the Bristol Channel is unforgiving. Respect the tide and keep to safe, railed areas.

  • Do not venture onto mud/sand flats—they are soft and dangerous, and the flood runs fast.
  • Stay behind railings; lower steps and rock armour are slippery with weed and can be overtopped.
  • Wear a buoyancy aid/lifejacket in rough weather; use non‑slip footwear and a headtorch after dark.
  • Keep clear of any RNLI or council slipways and the Marine Lake inner areas used by swimmers/watersports.
  • Accessibility: level promenade access suitable for trolleys and wheelchairs; choose railed positions with room for a drop net and keep tripods clear of walkways.

You’re in town, so facilities are close by. Plan around seasonal opening hours.

  • Public toilets by the seafront/Marine Lake area (seasonal hours) and further along the prom.
  • Cafés, kiosks and shops at Knightstone and along the seafront; supermarkets in walking distance.
  • Pay‑and‑display parking near the venue; check time limits.
  • Mobile signal is generally strong.
  • Tackle and bait: several shops in Weston‑super‑Mare and nearby—check current opening times; fresh local lug is excellent if you can dig legally on low tides.

A few local quirks make a big difference. Treat it like a fast estuary rather than an open coast beach.

  • Don’t chase distance—drop baits on the edge of the main flow lanes as the flood wraps the island.
  • Fresh blow lug outfishes frozen most days; small, neat baits get more hook‑ups in the flow.
  • For mullet, introduce bread mash little and often; present flake naturally on long, light hooklengths.
  • In summer, crabs are relentless—use bait elastic and tougher baits, or fish neaps/colder snaps.
  • A 6–7 oz breakout is often the difference between holding and trundling on spring tides.
  • Night fishing ups your odds for whiting and a better bass; keep lighting discreet to avoid spooking mullet.
  • Expect weed on some tides; keep gear high, reduce exposed line, and re‑cast to keep leads set.

Follow local signage and current national measures. Rules can change—check before you go.

  • Knightstone/Marine Lake: fishing is typically on the seaward side. Do not fish inside Marine Lake or from marked bathing/watersports areas or slipways when in use; North Somerset Council signage takes precedence.
  • Bass measures: regulations are updated periodically. In recent years, retention has been limited to a small daily bag with a 42 cm minimum in set months, with catch‑and‑release outside those months—check current UK guidance before retaining any bass.
  • Eels: European eel is in serious decline; catch‑and‑release is strongly advised for any eel caught incidentally.
  • IFCAs: this coastline falls under regional IFCA byelaws (e.g., gear and minimum sizes may apply locally). Check the latest byelaws before retaining fish.
  • General: no rod licence is required for sea fishing in England; observe any seasonal beach restrictions, keep clear of RNLI operations, and return undersized fish promptly.